Since so many people now think that Melisandre is going to _____ Jon Snow, I'm pretty sure that means it won't happen. - Kevin (aka ThreadKilla)

I feel vaguely stupid for not having thought of some of these. - joey - team everyone

The whole confusion about fostering seems odd - in the cultures Martin is drawing from, that was a very, very common practice, especially during times of potential unrest. That's what you do with the younger children (Ned, Robert) of your political rivals or potential threats. - Jennifer Dittrich

Jennifer, I also don't understand why they'd be doing that as some elaborate, multi-generational plan to later band together and demand something...why not just...band together and demand something? - joey - team everyone

Maybe it's just me, but I think the article conflates "fostering" in some cases with "hostage-taking." - Kevin (aka ThreadKilla)

Well, that's what it was, though. You 'fostered' your kids with either your enemy, or at least someone politically neutral, and if you didn't hold up your obligations they were forfeit. That didn't always mean death - sometimes that meant their parents were deposed, and they were put in charge, or they were married off to someone in the family to generate heirs down the line with multiple claims. - Jennifer Dittrich